Internet Cat Video Festival 2014

“Move over, Cannes, Minneapolis might just be home to the greatest film festival ever.”
—Huffington Post

Celebrate the third year of watching cat videos together when the Internet Cat Video Festival returns to the Walker’s Open Field. This year’s kitty rumpus features a new selection of videos programmed by Will Braden, creator of the Henri Le Chat Noir videos and recipient of the first Golden Kitty (People’s Choice) Award.

The evening will be hosted by Tom Weber, cat video enthusiast, veteran #catvidfest juror, and cohost of MPR’s The Daily Circuit. A guest appearance by Lil BUB, live music from Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers, a cash bar, food trucks, and feline-themed activities round out this festive evening.

Schedule of Events

6 pm: Food trucks, cash bar, and activities on Open Field

7 pm: Live music by Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers

8:45 pm: Reel begins

10 pm: Program concludes

Follow the Action

Activities on Open Field

Before the screening of the reel at dusk, there will be several artistic activities to kick off the fun, including a live painting by artist Rudy Fig; a cat-themed edition of Open Field’s Drawing Club with illustrators Todd Balthazor, Alyssa Nassner, and Shannon Joyce; a chance to get decked out in whiskers via the magic of face painting; and an animated GIF photo booth.

All About BUB

Lil BUB, “the most amazing cat on the planet,” will be making a special guest appearance at this year’s festival as a guest of Animal Planet. You can meet her at a ticketed event in Minneapolis on August 15.

Learn More about Animal Resources & Welfare

Golden Kitty Award

First it was Henri, then it was Grumpy. Which cat will walk away with the prestigious Golden Kitty Award this year? The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be revealed at the end of the night, along with a special Achievement Award to be announced. All the nominations can be viewed here.

Festival Merchandise

Get decked out in a brand new #catvidfest T-shirt, available for the first time during the festival on August 14.

Food and Beverages

Grab a bite from the AZ Canteen, a Cupcake Social, or Gastrotruck food trucks, or head to the Walker’s Garden Café for a variety of food and drink options. Two cash bars on site will be featuring a special kitty-themed cocktail and Flat Earth Brewing Company’s Hep Cat and Tabby Cat ales, along with other assorted refreshments.

Encore Screenings

Encore screenings of the 2014 festival reel will take place in the Walker Cinema on September 4 and 7. Tickets go on sale August 15.

FAQS

Tickets are not required.

No reserved seating is available; all space is first-come, first-served. Bring thick blankets to sit on, as much of the field is currently covered in wood chips.

No shade is available on the field, so bring proper sun protection.

No outside alcoholic beverages.

The event will be ASL interpreted. Note that the during the screening, the ASL interpreter will be stationed in the center of the hill, near the control booth.

We strongly encourage guests to leave their pets at home, as this is expected to be a very crowded and noisy event. Most cats would probably rather stay at home anyway. It is likely that the temperature will be very warm and there is no shade on the field. However, if you do bring your pet, it is your responsibility to attend to its needs as we will not have any food, water, litter boxes, or plastic baggies available for pets.

In case of rain, this event will be held August 21.

More information about festival tours and other details can be found here.

Transportation and Parking

Please consider walking, biking, or taking public transportation to the festival as parking will be very limited.

Parking is available in the Walker Art Center parking garage for a $7 flat fee (cash only). It is expected to fill up early in the evening. Event parking is also available at St. Mark’s Cathedral on Hennepin Ave. for a $10 flat fee. There are two parking lots available to attendees, either at the cathedral at 15th Ave and Oak Grove St or at 1730 Clifton Place. Information and maps can be found here.

A Brief History of the Internet Cat Video Festival

In August 2012, the Walker Art Center planned a small experiment as part of its outdoor summer programming on Open Field, the green space adjacent to the building. What if there was an evening program dedicated to the Internet phenomenon of cat videos? Would anyone come to watch videos what they could easily view with a few clicks at home or work? How would this solo hobby translate to a public setting?

Word of the program quickly spread internationally via social media and the press, including coverage as varied as the New York Times, the BBC, Japanese television, Australian talk shows, Brazilian newspapers, CNN, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, Cat Fancy, Slate, Time, CHEEZburger, and many more. The result was 10,000 people gathered on Open Field enjoying the first Internet Cat Video Festival—together.

The overwhelming success of the event has led to tours of the program and last summer the Walker presented the second installment of the festival to an even larger crowd at the Minnesota State Fair.